Ex-England Cricketer Robin Smith Passes Away At 62 | Cricket News

Robin Smith passed away at 62 on Monday (Picture credit: X)

Former England batter Robin Smith has passed away at the age of 62, English county team Hampshire announced on Tuesday.

The South African-born Smith, who played 62 Tests between 1988 and 1996, died unexpectedly on Monday in Australia, where he lived, according to his family.

“It is with the deepest and most profound sense of sadness and loss that we must announce the passing of Robin Arnold Smith, beloved father of Harrison and Margaux, and cherished brother of Christopher,” Smith’s family said in a statement released by Hampshire Cricket.

“Robin died unexpectedly at his South Perth apartment on Monday, 1st December. The cause of his death is currently unknown.”

Smith, nicknamed the “Judge”, had recently met with the England Lions squad, England’s second-tier team, in Perth ahead of the first Ashes Test at the invitation of coach Andrew Flintoff.

“Robin rose to fame as one of England’s most charismatic and popular players,” Smith’s family said.

“A brave and dashing batsman, he excelled both for Hampshire and his adopted country, collecting legions of admirers and friends along the way.”

They added: “Since he retired from the game in 2004, his battles with alcohol and mental health have been well documented, but these should not form the basis of speculation about the cause of death, which will be determined at the postmortem investigation.”

Smith scored 4,236 Test runs for England, including nine hundreds, with an average of 43. He scored 2,419 runs at 39.01 in 71 ODIs.

Hampshire chairman Rod Bransgrove said: “Robin Smith is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, of all-time Hampshire cricket heroes.

“He was a batsman of awesome power and control and among the most courageous players this club has ever seen – especially against bowling of real pace.”

England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Richard Thompson said: “Robin Smith was a player who stood toe to toe with some of the quickest bowlers in the world, meeting spells of hostile fast bowling with a defiant smile and incredible resilience.

“He did so in a way that gave England fans enormous pride and no shortage of entertainment.

“He was a batter ahead of his time, typified by that unforgettable unbeaten 167 from 163 balls in a one-day international against Australia at Edgbaston in 1993.”

(With AFP Inputs)

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